Retort.



No. 762,058. 1 PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

' H. HIRSH.

RETORT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

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PATEN TED J'UNET, "1 904.

H. HIRSH.

RETORT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

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WITNESSES:

A TTOHNEYS UNITED STATES Patented June 7, 1904.

HARRY HIRSH, OF EASTMAN, GEORGIA.

RETORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,058, dated June 7, 1904.

Application filed September 1'7, 1903. Serial No. 173,564. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,HARRY HIRsH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Eastman, in the county of Dodge and State of Georgia,

5 have invented a new and Improved Retort, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to retorts, and more particularly to aform of retort suitable for the I destructive distillation ofv coniferous wood such, for instance, as Southern pine.

' Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi- I cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing my apparatus in use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, partly in section; and Fig. 3 is an end view of a manhole- 2 cover employed. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, through the furnace-door, upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking toward the left.

The apparatus consists of retorts proper, l

2, preferably arranged in pairs, as indicated 2 5 in Fig. 2, together with divers other parts and appurtenances hereinafter described.

Each retort is made of metal and is provided at its top with a rotund portion 3, which is open at its center and closed by a manhole- 0 cover 4, this cover being held in position by means of a clamp 5. The rotund portion is for the purpose of facilitating the charging of the retort, which is done from the top. Each retort is encircled by fiues 6, and these flues 5 are supplied by passages 7 with combustible gases for heating the retorts. Each passage 7 is provided with a damper 8, Figs. 1, 8, capable of closing the same, each damper being mounted upon a revoluble stem 9, having a 0 handle 10, whereby the dampers may be turned into different radial positions relative to the passages. By this means the passages may be choked toany desired extent. A casing 11, Fig. 2, constitutes a furnace-door and 45 is provided with slats 12, which are mounted so as to rock and are connected by a rod 13. By raising or lowering this rod the slats 12 may be opened or closed, the structure thus constituting a register whereby the inflow of 5 air may be controlled at will and with great exactness, the products of combustion passing out of the furnace through a chimney or stack 63.

A casing 14 encircles the retorts and consists, preferably, of masonry. Each retort is provided at its lower end with a manhole 15, Fig. 1, closed by a cover 16, the cover being held in place by a clamp 17 which is provided with a revoluble hand-wheel 18. The clamp 17 is held in place at its upper end by a removable pin-l9 and swings at its lower end upon a pivot 20, which is mounted in bearings 21. Each retort is provided with a turpentine- Vapor pipe 22 and with a general vapor-pipe 23. These pipes are respectively secured to the retorts by means of flanged heads 24 25, Fig. 2, these heads being held in position by means of removable bolts 26 27, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 2.

The condensing-tank is shown at 28, Fig. 1, and is mounted upon framework 29. The turpentine-vapor pipe'22 is connected with a horn-shaped member 30, and this member is,

connected with a portion 31 of the condensing- Worm, which is in turn connected with another horn-shaped member 32, the connections being made by means of flanged ends 33 34. The members 30 31 32 are multiplied, as shown in Fig. 1, according to the proportions of the still. Somewhat similarly the general vaporpipe 23 is connected at 35 by means of flanges 36 with a worm-section 37, and this section is by means of a horn-shaped member 38 connected with other sections of the condensing-worm.

A nozzle 39 forms the termination of the worm connected with the general vapor-pipe 23, and from this nozzle a pipe 40 runs upward to a tank 42, containing a liquid 41, beneath the surface of which the upper end of the pipe 40 is submerged, this arrangement constituting'a condenser. The liquid 41 in this tank is a dilute solution of lime or other alkaline substance, and its purpose is to take up any acetic acid that may pass from the general vapor-pipe 23 and through the still. The acetic acid not being condensed passes upward into the liquid, where it combines with the lime, forming an acetate of lime A nozzle 44 forms the termination of the portion of the condensing-worm connected to the turpentine-vapor pipe 22, and receptacles 43 45 are provided for receiving the products of distillation. I

A pipe 46 is connected with the bottom of each retort, and. by means of amanually-controlled union 47 this pipe is also connected with an elbow 48, having at its lower end a pipe-section 49, and mounted upon this pipesection is a bracket 50, provided with a screwbolt 50", which engages with a supportingrod 51. This supporting-rod rests then upon the bottom of a trough 52. By adjusting the supporting-rod 51 relatively to the bracket 50 by means of the set-bolt 50 the pipe-section 49 may be disposed at any desired angle and thereby maintained out of contact with the trough 52. The pipe, consisting of the members 46 48 49, is a so-called heavy-tar pipe.

The pipes heretofore used for an ofiice analogous to this one have been diflicult to keep clean, owing to the fact that the tar becomes pitched and does not flow with suflicient freedom to keep the pipe clear. Again, with the heavy-tar pipes heretofore used it has been difficult to prevent fires from starting, owing to the great inflammability of the tar when first produced and while still heated. By

means of the manually-controlled union 47 the heavy-tar pipe may be taken apart and any obstruction therein readily removed. This union is a safeguard, because while the pipe will not ordinarily clog, owing to the fact that the section 49 may be disposed at various angles and kept out of contact with the trough 52, yet it may sometimes be desirable to take the pipe apart, especially where the interior thereof has received an accumulated deposit of unusually thick tar admixed, perhaps, with more or less resin.

By means of an inlet-pipe 53, provided with a hand-valve 54, steam may be admitted into the retort in any quantity desired and at any stage of the process.

The vapor-pipes 22 23 are provided with valves 55, operatedby means of hand-wheels 56 57, as indicated in Fig. 2. By means of these hand-wheels either of the vapor-pipes may be closed independently of the other.

A water-pipe 58 is provided with perforations 59 and with a hand-valve 58, whereby the general vapor-pipe 23 may be sprayed with cold water to any extent desired. The pipe 58 terminates in a nozzle 60, controlled by a hand-valve 61, and may be used for supplying water to the tank 28. A gravity-loop 62 is provided in the general vapor-pipe 23, and from this loop a pipe 63 leads vertically downward to a receptacle 64. The gravityloop is for the purpose of accumulating the light tar and drawing the same into said receptacle.

My invention is used as follows: The coniferous wood, consisting, say, of so-called fat pine, is placed within the retorts, and the re torts are closed by means of the covers 16, above described. A fire being made in the furnace, the register, consisting of the slats 12 and the rod 13, is adjusted so as to regulate the inflow of air to the fine, the casing becomes hot, and the destructive distillation of the coniferous wood proceeds. At the beginning of the operation the general vaporpipe 23 is now closed, and the turpentine-Vapor pipe 22 is opened by means of the valve 55. The first products which pass oif from the coniferous wood are aqueous vapor and turpentine vapor. This is why the vaporpipe 22 is thrown into action to the exclusion of the general vapor-pipe 23. The result is that at-the commencement of the process the turpentine vapors are condensed and discharged from the nozzle 44 into the receptacle 45. As the destructive distillation proceeds the other produetssuch as pyroligneous acid, acetic acid, tar, resin, &c.-begin to pass off in the form of vapors. When these miscellaneous vapors begin to pass oif, the turpentine-vapor pipe 22 is closed and the general vapor-pipe 23 is opened. The spraypipe 58 is now thrown into action and exerts a slight chilling effect upon the general vapor-pipe 23, thereby consolidating the light tar vapors and causing the tar to flow downward through the pipe 63 to the tar-barrel 64. Preferably but little water is discharged through the perforations 59 of the pipe 58, only enough to be readilyvaporized by the heat of the general vapor-pipe 23. The residual vapors then pass through the condensing-tank and are condensed to a great extent and are discharged from the nozzle 39 into the receptacle 43. The acetic acid is saved in the form of an acetate, as above described.

I regard the addition of the turpentine-vapor pipe 22 as of great importance. By its use the turpentine is produced comparatively pure. The less Volatile prod nets-such as tar, resin, and the acids-are not driven off during the time the turpentine-pipe is in use and are therefore condensed by the general vaporpipe only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, a condensing-tank disposed adjacent thereto, separate pipes connected with said receptacle and said condensing-tank for the purpose of condensing vapors of different volatility, and spray-pipes connected with one of said separate pipes for the purpose of chilling the same throughout practically its entire length.

2. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, means for heating the same, a pipe connected with said receptacle and provided with a gravity-loop, and a spray-pipe disposed above said pipe and extending parallel thereto.

3. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, means for heating the same, a longitudinal vapor-pipe connected with said receptacle, a condensing-tank connected with said longitudinal vapor-pipe, and a longitudinal spray-pipe disposed above said vaporpipe and substantially parallel thereto for slightly chilling the same.

4. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, means for heating the same, a vaporpipe connected therewith and provided with a downward curve constituting a gravity-loop, and a spray-pipe disposed above'said vaporpipe and substantially parallel thereto, said vapor-pipe being also provided with a downwa rd curve corresponding to said gravity-loop for the purpose of showering all parts of said vapor-pi pe.

5. In a' retort, the combination of a receptacle, a so-called heavy-tar pipe connected therewith, said heavy-tar pipe being provided with a movable portion, and means for securing said movable portion in different relative positions for the purpose of preventing said heavy-tar pipe from clogging.

6. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, a heavy-tar pipe connected therewith and provided with a movable portion for assuming different radial angles, a trough disposed below said movable portion, and means controllable at will for securing said movable portion of said pipe at different radial angles relatively to said trough for the purpose of preventing said heavy-tar pipe from clogging.

7. In a retort, the combination of a receptacle, means for heating the same, a steampipe for supplying hot steam within said retort independently of said means for heating the same, vapor-pipes connected with said receptacle for condensing vapors generated therein, condensers connected with said vaporpipes, and mechanism for chilling one of said vapor-pipes independently of said condensers, said mechanism being disposed at a point intermediate of said receptacle and said condensers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY HIRSH.

Witnesses:

WV. W. MORRISON, J B. HOLMES. 

